


Vivid.

by IggyBlue



Series: V. [9]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Fluff, M/M, feelies, silliness, slice-of-life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 20:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7375561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IggyBlue/pseuds/IggyBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vast and deep as the sky above.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vivid.

The season was progressing, the heat and sun of Summer fading into memory. Cooler mornings and evenings were punctuated with volatile thunderstorms and shortening spans of daylight. It was mid-morning when Kakarot found himself in Vegeta's room at Capsule Corp, startling to find Bulma standing there.

They both jumped back with a yelp at the sight of one another before heaving sighs. "Oh hi Goku." Bulma said. "I'm still not used to that."

"Hi..." Kakarot responded. Seeing her had dampened his enthusiasm somehow. "Sorry."

"Come to pick up Vegeta, huh?"

"Yep."

There was a pause that felt nearly awkward, even between lifelong friends. Kakarot then realised that perhaps he had been the life of the party all along. "What're you doing in Vegeta's room, anyway?"

"Me and dad have been working on textiles for space wear, as a kind of side-project. I'm here to grab his old armour and whatever insight he has to hopefully use in creating something innovative."

"Oh... cool." Kakarot had been eyeing her outfit, a decent pair of utility pants with her signature tight tee. Her chest was full and round, waist tiny, figure so intrinsically feminine.

Vegeta had apparently been rummaging around in an adjacent closet as he came to them with his old Saiyan armour, worn down and chipped from their time on Namek. It reminded them all of a different time, a more turbulent one for them all.

"Hey." Kakarot greeted dully. The man nodded in acknowledgement at him, then handed the armour to Bulma.

"Wow..." Bulma cooed. Kakarot could almost see the gears turning behind her bright eyes as she inspected the armour before tucking it under her arm. "Did you have any insider info on this stuff?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Not really. I know what it does but that's about it."

"Bummer. Hopefully I can whip you up something even better." With that she turned and made for the door. "Have fun today guys, doing whatever you do. Fighting, whatever..." She'd now gone, presumably to pore over every detail of the old armour.

Vegeta turned to Kakarot, hands on hips. "We'll go now?"

"I guess."

"What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing." Kakarot played up a more cheerful expression.

"Don't tell me you're still doing that jealousy thing." Vegeta said lowly, quiet to remain out of earshot.

"I can't help it!" Kakarot whined.

"We live in the same complex. Of course we'll bump into one another now and then."

"I know."

"I'm done with her. I don't want her."

"But she hsmmmphhnm." He mumbled.

"What?"

"She has... boobs."

Vegeta chuckled a bit. "You have tits too."

"Huh?" He was thoroughly confused.

Vegeta's gloved fingertips poked at his pectorals. "These. They're pretty sweet."

"They're not the same."

"They're not, but... I still like them."

Kakarot looked down at his chest, thinking.

"You're worried over nothing. Even if I did prefer her figure, her personality doesn't make her worthwhile."

"And mine does?" Kakarot asked hopefully.

"Yah." Vegeta confirmed casually, motioning to him with his hands. "Do this."

Kakarot complied, placing his hands to his pecs and pressing them together. They formed a line in the centre not unlike the cleavage of a woman, and he looked up again with a smile when he heard Vegeta's laughter. "You're so silly!"

He kept laughing, but it wasn't a mocking laugh. Kakarot couldn't help but join in, but was soon reaching for Vegeta's pecs too, the man stepping just outside his grasp. "Hey! Wait! Do yours too!"

"No way!" He laughed as he wove himself out of the way of Kakarot's intent.

"Aww, you're so mean!" The taller man laughed, insecurity long forgotten.

~

It was late afternoon when they noticed, during a spar, that the electricity in the air wasn't a result of their own kis. Kakarot landed on a plateau, Vegeta following suit to watch him gaze out over the horizon. Kakarot's bright eyes caught his, face bubbling with a childlike excitement. "Let's watch the storm!"

He hesitated, but was soon following as Kakarot jumped down over the edge of the plateau onto a more protected covered lip off the cliff. Kakarot plopped down, eager to settle in as Vegeta took place beside him, their legs dangling over the edge of the precifice. 

With the sun low in the afternoon sky, a deep chill began to set in. Kakarot, ever keen to notice anything the prince did, observed the other man pulling his arms in tight against his chest, shoulders tight.

"Let's get out of here." Vegeta said suddenly.

"Huh? But it's so pretty."

"I changed my mind."

"But the storm, Geta. I don't wanna miss it. Didn't you say storms remind you of home?"

Vegeta flinched minutely. "I don't like the cold." And with that Kakarot's thick arm curled around his waist, instantly shielding him from the worst of the chill.

"Better?"

"Hmmph. I guess." He replied hesitantly. Indeed it was.

"Home was warm too, huh?" Kakarot asked softly.

"It was, but it's not that..." Vegeta blurted out. He sighed, knowing he'd be pestered until he spat it out. "The ship was always cold."

"Oh..." He must have meant Frieza's ship. "Do you... think about it a lot?"

"I try not to."

The foreboding blanket of clouds was slowly approaching, and a true quiet had set into the thick air.

"Ooh, I just had the greatest idea." Kakarot voiced eagerly.

"What's that?"

"If you like the warm so much, we should totally do a bathhouse sometime."

"What!" Vegeta barked. "Absolutely not."

"Why not, 'Geta, you got something to hide?" Kakarot pressed playfully, smiling.

"...No."

"Then why not, silly? It's fun and it feels good."

"No."

"It's good for your muscles after a workout, too."

Vegeta paused.

" _My conniving plan has worked!_ " Kakarot joked. " _I have fooled him with my ruse, and now I can behold the prince in all his glory!_ "

"Do you want me to punch you."

"Aww, I'm just playin'."

"I can make it hurt if you'd like."

Kakarot giggled through his teeth, knowing neither of them meant it. A stiff breeze caught up to them, sending a shiver through Vegeta's torso. Kakarot's playfulness melted with the last of Vegeta's spare body heat, and he immediately went, drawing his knee behind the prince, and embraced the smaller man's torso from behind, pressing them together. He sensed a distinct stiffness in Vegeta's posture. "Relax. I won't try anything." And with that, Vegeta's frame softened just a fraction - enough to feel.

And the feeling, brilliant and intense, bloomed wildly throughout Kakarot's chest. Having Vegeta in his arms and pressed against his chest felt almost like perfection. To embrace the man so wholly and closely made his heart jump happily in his chest. They sat there together for a few minutes, simply watching out over the looming clouds, Kakarot drinking in every precious moment of sensation so entirely consumed with Vegeta, yet conflicted by a niggling doubt within him.

"Vegeta, there's something bothering me." He said quietly.

"What's that?" Was the mumbled response.

"I'm... worried that you really hate this but you're just putting up with it."

Vegeta said nothing. Kakarot knew this meant he was thinking it through, sorting his inner world into speech.

"You know... putting up with it to please me." He explained further.

"Since when has it been my primary concern to please you?"

"...Since never?" Kakarot guessed.

"Correct."

"Well, okay." His voice sounded unconvinced even in his own ears. "That's a good way to be, Vegeta."

"Is it? I would have thought the opposite would be held in higher regard."

"Selflessness?"

"Yes."

"It is, but... you can be _too_ worried about what others are thinking. Which is kind of my problem."

"That would require a lot of bother that I myself have no reserves of. And yet you... are you so terribly concerned of what _I_ think?"

"Of course I am!" He blurted out.

"And that affects how you act." Vegeta deduced.

"Yes..."

"You're the one who needs to relax, Kakarot." He said pointedly.

It resonated, and Kakarot pondered it a moment. "Yeah... I think you're right." 

With a sigh Kakarot came to rest his chin on Vegeta's shoulder as they each beheld the storm out over the vast plain. "You know," Kakarot started, "When you first came here... at that time I had only the faintest idea of what it was to be Saiyan. All I'd known was what my brother had told me. I can't imagine what my life would have been like had we not met."

Vegeta reflected on the idea. "Perhaps it would have been better."

"No, don't say that."

"It's true."

"Well only I can be the judge of that." Kakarot countered mildly.

"Fair enough."

"...I'm grateful for it. That you came."

"I really would have killed you back then, you know." Vegeta's voice sounded as gravelly as the day he'd arrived.

"One on one, in a completely fair battle, you would have killed me for sure."

"...I'm glad I didn't."

"I'm glad you didn't, too."

"...Why did you have your ally spare me?"

Kakarot sighed contentedly, watching as the clouds began to light up sporadically in the distance. "Because... it must have been the Saiyan in me, but I wanted to fight you again. Without you, I never would have been as strong as I am now."

"As for me... with Frieza out of the picture, I strove only to best you."

"I like that a lot."

"You do?"

"Because you were _so_ much stronger, faster, better than me when we first fought."

"You attained to the legend first." Vegeta admitted, resignedly.

"Yes, but you followed me. Isn't that unheard of? _Two_ super Saiyans, and in the same era!"

"Mmm, it is. Seems it was meant to be. The perfect storm, even."

"Oh you're terrible."

"Never said I wasn't." 

Vegeta had a wicked grin about his profile, and Kakarot giggled. "No, you're the best."

~

The storm seemed to be erupting, still a ways away from them both as they watched its course. Lightening flashed periodically, and a sheet of rain had begun to cover the land. Around them, the atmosphere was charged and somewhat damp.

A rush of crackling electricity grazed Kakarot's skin and he flinched back. Vegeta had ignited his ki, and Kakarot did the same to protect himself. "Hey..." He whined.

Vegeta was silent for a little while. Eventually he asked quietly, "Why do you let me?"

"...Why do I let you hurt me?"

"Yeah."

His mouth was near the man's ear, so he spoke softly as well. "It's the only way to get close."

"To me? Or to anyone."

"To anyone, but especially you."

"Huh."

Kakarot gave him a little squeeze, the closest thing to a cuddle he could muster for fear Vegeta wouldn't tolerate any more.

"Why me." Vegeta questioned.

"I would ask the same."

"Hmm?"

"Why would you let me in?" Kakarot spoke softly.

"You're different."

"And so are you."

"Hmm."

"Is it that we're Saiyan?"

"You're not really like a Saiyan, though."

"Mmm. But... from what I know about the Saiyans... you differ from that as well, now, too."

"I resent that."

"All I mean is, you're more than that. More than just fighting. You would have everyone believe you're not, though. You're so complex."

Vegeta didn't respond.

"You like me, even though I'm not really Saiyan in personality?"

"I think if you were, this never would have happened."

"No?"

"No. I'm sure of it."

Kakarot nuzzled into the nape of Vegeta's neck, endlessly grateful for the moment, for the chance to be so close to the prince. When he withdrew, he exhaled contentedly, noticing as Vegeta reclined back onto him, resting his head on his shoulder. Kakarot's heart raced; even the privilege of holding him had felt like a single fleeting moment suspended in eternity. And yet, only now was the prince truly relaxing. It was a thrill to break through even one of the countless layers of Vegeta's shell.

**Author's Note:**

> Special shoutout to Rushifa whose comments roused this fic back into my thoughts.


End file.
